Out of state, private party transfer

This is a discussion on Out of state, private party transfer within the Reference & "How To" Forum forums, part of the Related Topics category; Well, I finally pulled the trigger so to speak, and I am purchasing my first weapon. I'm getting it used from another private party off ...

Absolutely has to be shipped to an FFL. Beyond that, you need to be certain that you can legally own a handgun in accordance with your state laws before you can take possession. Part of that qualification is that you have to be a legal resident of the state in which you take delivery... and it sounds like that status is up in the air right now. Bottom line is, have the gun shipped to an FFL in your state of official residence.

Re: Out of state, private party transfer

Originally Posted by gasmitty

Absolutely has to be shipped to an FFL. Beyond that, you need to be certain that you can legally own a handgun in accordance with your state laws before you can take possession. Part of that qualification is that you have to be a legal resident of the state in which you take delivery... and it sounds like that status is up in the air right now. Bottom line is, have the gun shipped to an FFL in your state of official residence.

I've been in texas the majority of the time over the last year, I pay rent on a house, my kids go to school here, so legal resident isnt really much of a stretch for me.

So I need to line up an FFL dealer. What is a reasonable fee for them to charge? I talked to two gun ranges in the area of Fort Worth, TX. One was $50, and the other was $65... seems a little steep to shuffle a little paperwork around for me.

I believe you can establish proof of residency with 6 months of rent receipts utilitys etc,You may need to get a Texas ID card if possible while retaining your Iowa drivers license,if you Are Active Duty Military you can use your ID and a copy of your orders IIRC

Simplest way is: purchase the item, paying the item's price and whatever fees necessary to get it shipped on its way; have it sent to a local FFL shop in your state of residence (where your driver's license is issued and home residence address exists); pay your FFL shop for its part in the transfer to your ownership. Easily confirmed by checking first with any FFL shop on the proper method of transfer. If concerned about some of the potential pitfalls in state/fed law you might be unaware of, going through an FFL shop can sidestep them all.

Welcome to the community of gun owners, congratulations on becoming a citizen rather than a subject!

Before you get your shiny (or matte black) new gun, you should probably deal with your residency situation. If you are working in Texas, laying your head down at night in Texas, your kids go to school in Texas and you plan to vote in Texas - you are, for all intents and purposes, a Texas resident.

New residents moving into Texas, who are at least 16 years or older and have a valid driver license from another state, have 90 days after entry into the state to secure a Texas Driver License.

Without this, purchasing a gun from or through a Texas FFL will be pretty much impossible.

Once you've got your new gun, I'd also suggest getting some instruction in how to safely use and care for it. The FFL you end up dealing with should be able to recommend a local instructor, and the NRA website will be a good resource - as would be asking here. Remember, going to the music store and buying a guitar doesn't make you a guitarist - and guns, unlike guitars, are definitely not suited to self-instruction. There have been very few fatalities caused by inexperienced guitar players...

Re: Out of state, private party transfer

Originally Posted by raytracer

Once you've got your new gun, I'd also suggest getting some instruction in how to safely use and care for it. The FFL you end up dealing with should be able to recommend a local instructor, and the NRA website will be a good resource - as would be asking here. Remember, going to the music store and buying a guitar doesn't make you a guitarist - and guns, unlike guitars, are definitely not suited to self-instruction. There have been very few fatalities caused by inexperienced guitar players...

I couldn't agree more, and I'm asking questions to make sure I do everything right.

The seller is in AL.

Now, i forgot to mention part of this, so i am going to ask again just so I have this straight, he is taking it to a dealer and doing a transfer on his end. After this, wouldn't the gun be in my name? Would I still have to have it shipped to an FFL dealer for the transfer?

Re: Out of state, private party transfer

Do you have the legal ability to simply travel there in person to make a private sale?

Legal ability? Yes...

Logistical ability? No...

Work is crazy right now and I'm getting called back to work literally the minute my legal rest is up... the extra money is nice, but it kinda makes having a life difficult.

As far as my residency, I plan to go to a DPS office and get a Texas DL next week sometime. Probably for the best as we have been debating on making Texas our home anyway. The only things left in Iowa are about 8 years of seniority and a mostly empty house.

As far as voting, I voted absentee ballot in Iowa as I still technically claim residence in Iowa (still having Iowa taxes taken out of my paycheck), and I feel my vote was more important in a swing state... but that's neither here nor there.

ANY handgun purchase from a party in a different state MUST go through a FFL in the recipients state of residency. That is the feds law. With the party in AL he is in neither of the states you could possibly consider your home state of residency so you must have the gun sent to an FFL in YOUR state of residency.

You REALLY need to figure out what state you are claiming residency in. If you still have an Iowa license and a house there I'm guessing your still paying taxes there as a resident and you have stated that your current job in TX is a temp job but you are considering making it permanent so you may be on the verge of getting yourself in a major jam unless you can legally switch your residency to TX and have the gun sent to a TX FFL. Otherwise you may want to pass.

Another aspect is you need to insure that what ever FFL you use in TX will accept your gun from another FFL out of state. Some FFLs get very picky on what they receive in for transfer.

You need to talk to a FFL that is local to you and figure out the best way to go.